Category: How to be a Southern Writer

Human beings are the most amazing creatures, but horses come a close second. Put together, horses and humans interact in a way that evokes a history shared through the ages. Add into the mix Norman Latourelle, a pioneer of Cirque du Soleil, and what you have is a visually stunning and emotionally evocative experience. What…

It’s easy to forget how ‘major’ a major Broadway production can be. But one must only make a two-hour drive to see Broadway in the south. Once there, take a seat and stare at the stage to be reminded what’s in store. During the recent run of Wicked at the fabulous Fox Theatre in Atlanta,…

Suzanne Poole might have the world’s best commute. All she has to do to get to her Anchorage Marina on Lake Burton is walk past the gazebo and plants lining the lake. Susy and her husband, the iconic Mr. Charlie Poole, bought the marina in the 1960s, and the family has owned and run it…

I admit, I’m coming late to the Laura Lippman game. I completely missed her Tess Monaghan series and am only now catching up to this wonderful writer. It is October 2019. There’s no excuse for the oversight, but I’m making up for lost time. It’s not as if I don’t know her. I actually…

We’re having guests over Sunday to watch the Academy Awards. We haven’t had anyone over in months — October, to be exact — so the fact two friends are coming here to eat dessert and watch pretty people win gold trophies means one thing. Not champagne. Not gluten-free treats for that one particular guest. Not…

I agree with Eduora, that one should always learn. In my case, learning helps me write. I don’t mean learning how to query agents or craft plot points (though those things are useful!). I mean learning about subjects one doesn’t usually study in school — whitewater kayaking, duck hunting, the 911 call center, shore birds,…

“What did they expect? I’m a writer, and I use everything. Did all those people think I was there just to entertain them?” — Truman Capote It’s a cliche to tell a writer to walk around with a pad of paper and a pen. But if you’re a Southern writer, it’s not a suggestion. It’s…

“One place understood helps us understand all places better.” — Eudora Welty Write about a place you know better than any other. That place doesn’t have to exist anymore, but it should live in your memory. Inhabit that place when you write — see the old walls with their tacky art, smell the boiled chicken,…